“Same here,” she added. “Although, I…I don’t know about swimming into the narrow hole. On the surface, you are free to come up whenever you wish. Down there, we will be trapped.”
“You can do this,” he insisted. “There is no other way. After hours of walking through dark tunnels, we are near the end. Don’t think about the rocks above you, just keep moving. Relax. Don’t panic. You will be fine.”
After a few relaxing deep breaths together, Kai let go of Rayna’s hand and dove beneath the water. A few star crystals were affixed to the rock, illuminating the water from beneath. As he swam, he stretched his arms out and pulled on the rocks to propel himself through the tunnel. With each kick of his legs, the place where the shaft appeared to be a dead-end came into view.
Kai gleaned the tunnel, and he could sense that Rayna was doing alright behind him. He pulled himself around the sharp angle to the left. His lungs began to beg for air. Again, he thought of Rayna. In his mind, he could see her following several feet behind. She was at the turn. Her hands touched the stones, and she maneuvered herself around the sharp corner. Concerned for his own need for air, he kicked and pulled harder.
Up ahead he could see the mouth of the old hallway expand. Light glimmered on the water’s surface. His lungs begged for air near the end. With one last kick, he broke through the surface. He took in a deep breath, then another.
He swam across the pool to the stone stairs. He was in another round room. Knee-level to the ground, more star crystal illuminated the walls. Above, there was a ceiling with a decoratively carved ring with an open center. It was not completely dark, nor was it lit well enough to see the people he sensed waiting.
It was then that he began to worry about why Rayna had not come through. She should have been right behind him. Kai searched through the tunnel. She was now on the last leg and frantic for air. He desperately wanted to swim down and help her, but he knew she would want to make it on her own.
As she exited the underwater tunnel, she pushed hard for the surface and came up gasping for air. Kai offered her his hand and pulled her to the edge of the pool. “Are you alright?”
She coughed and wiped the water from her face. She clung to Kai’s hands as he pulled her up beside him. “We’re not alone. Do you sense them above us?” She asked.
“I do.”
Together they climbed up. Kai stared up into the dimly lit ceiling. He could sense eight people above them on the round ledge that mirrored their own below. Their energy pushed on his spirit with actual physical strength. On the far side of the cave were two dimly lit tunnels leading out of the cave. He did not know what came next. The dream had ended here. The people above whispered indistinctly amongst themselves.
There were eight people, four men, and four women. And he had a sneaking suspicion who they were… “Are you the four tribal chiefs and the four unie of the Katori people? Have you come here to send us back or welcome us?” He feared their answer.
A man’s voice echoed from above. “We’ve never had two come through together before. This is unusual.”
A woman spoke. “We are indeed your tribal chiefs and your unie. We cannot send you back. Alenga bids us to welcome you. This was once her sanctuary, but it was broken centuries ago when the Katori Mountains were first raised by the Stonekings.”
Another man spoke. “Welcome, Kai, whose name means ocean. Welcome, Rayna, whose name means queen. You’ve passed your tests of spirit. Here within Alenga’s sacred mountain, we greet you. It is her will that you proceed. We do as she commands.”
Something about the voice struck a chord inside Kai. He wondered, could this be his grandfather—Lucca?
A different woman spoke. “Our questions are meant to be answered by one. As such, you will need to answer in unison to avoid influencing each other.”
The man Kai believed was Lucca spoke again. “Are you each willing to leave behind the ways of the modern world?”
“I am,” they said in unison.
The first woman spoke. “Do you promise to protect and keep the secrets of the Katori, guard them with your life?”
“I do,” they said in unison.
“Do you commit yourself to the bonding of your spirit to the protection of Alenga, the mother of all nature?” Lucca asked.
“I do,” they said in unison.
“You cannot continue together. Choose your path, follow it to the end, and carve out your crystal. Your stone will help you control and withstand the force of your magic. Our spirits are not capable of manipulating such raw energy. Alenga created this crystal mountain to encapsulate part of our power. When she blesses you, she will reveal your gifts by filling your crystal with color: red means you’re a Stoneking, green for a Kodama, purple for a Weathervane, blue for a Beastmaster, and yellow is for a Lumen. You will understand soon enough what Alenga has in store for you. We will see you at the end.”
Separately, Rayna and Kai both walked around opposite sides of the small pool. Rayna quickly chose and walked down the path to the left. She did not look back. Kai stood before his only choice. The cave did not call to him, but something did.
From a voice high above came the command. “You must choose.”
He knew they were right—his body burned, his chest seemed to get hotter. He closed his eyes and placed his hand on his chest. His gleaning
